Deputy foreign affairs minister says PM wants him to bag rural constituency for the 6th time
Datuk Richard Riot Jaem
SERIAN: Five-term Serian MP Datuk Richard Riot Jaem will be defending his seat in the 13th general election, if his speech here two days ago is anything to go by.
At a ‘Muhibbah 1Malaysia’ function held in Kampung Tebakang Melayu near here on Saturday, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs told those present that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Najib Tun Razak had advised him to continue his good work in the constituency.
He added that the prime minister also hoped that he would win again to
ensure continued progress and development for the people.
“At a recent function in Kuala Lumpur, Najib pulled me aside and told me to look after my constituency. ‘You must continue your good work and make sure that you will win again,’” Riot revealed at the function, which was organised by the Information Department.
Sounding very sure of himself, Riot said: “If other people started speculating that BN had another candidate in mind, they are lying.”
However, in a humbling tone, he continued: “If you don’t like me, you are free to vote for someone else.”
Touching on the Bersih 2.0 rally on July 9, which called for a free and fair election, Riot pointed out that it would not be possible for the opposition to win so many seats in the April 16 state polls if the Election Commission did not do their job properly and if BN had resorted to vote buying.
In addition, he said, the opposition would not have been able to win control of five states in the peninsula in the 12th general election in 2008, although the BN eventually managed to recapture Perak.
Meanwhile, in his speech, village head Hanapi Bani pledged that his village, which is famous for its homestay tourism programme, would go all out to support Riot in the next general election to reciprocate his vast contributions to the village.
He added that Riot had done tremendously well not only for the Tebakang area but also for the whole of Serian.
In the last general election, Riot garnered 15,793 votes to defeat SNAP candidate Sylvester Belayong Jayang by a massive 13,427-vote majority.
The next general election must be called by 2013 at the latest, but word speculations have been rife in recent months that Parliament might be dissolved by the end of this year.